NickyKiss wrote:
Sutton’s improvements are down to focus IMO. A focus on getting himself fit and loosing the puppy fat and focus on match days to go full tilt at all times rather than going through the motions at points.
Shame playing for Wigan couldn’t get that focus from him. He was a good player for us but clearly left plenty in the tank.
I would argue it's down to being allowed to play a game more suited to him and being allowed more time with the ball and more time on the field in general.
When, under Shaun Wane, did any of our props make 19 carries in a game? Other clubs have players doing that kind of work in a game (Garbutt, Watts, Merrin, Battye, Thompson, Walmsley, Fifita, Hill etc.) yet our props would often make 6 or 7 carries.
How were any of our props going to stand out compared to players who get through that amount of work? Even when Sutton had a good game for us he'd generally be overlooked as a key player because he 'made a few good carries'. But give him the workload of other props and that would have become 'lots of good carries'.
Obviously Wane had his tactics. All those carries that the props made at other clubs were shared out by our outside backs and also our back row. Bateman and Faz would be more likely to make 19+ carries in a game.
Presumably Wane thought the less work our forwards did in attack and the more they were rotated during a game the fitter they'd be in defence and the better our line speed would be. You could argue it was the right idea as we won trophies, but it meant none of our forwards were ever likely to stand out compared to their peers.
For me Sutton was always capable of playing longer minutes, making more carries, and generally getting involved more during games. He's also pretty good at making metres after contact, which is something Wane discouraged as it slowed down the play the ball. Some players suit that (Flower is the obvious example), but others who have good leg strength and good technique going into contact inevitably didn't get to use all of their strengths. I'd say Wane's tactics held Sutton back more than any other player, particularly in terms of trying to force his way into the England side.
No doubt there has been some improvements in fitness and he's playing in a better environment, but there has always been ability there. That's why NRL clubs have been chasing Sutton for years. I was fairly confident he would look better in the NRL than he did here.
